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Friday, September 26, 2014

7QT: St. Therese

A pause in the novena reflections for 7 Quick Takes about St. Therese of Lisieux. Seven brief tidbits about or quotes from The Little Flower.

~ONE~

Even though both of St. Therese’s parents considered
religious vocation, her father, Louis, was a watchmaker and her mother, Zelie,
made lace.Read about their cause, here.

~TWO~

Don’t underestimate St. Therese.She knew what it was to suffer.This is what she wrote, in The Story of a Soul:

At this time I was enjoying such a living faith, such a
clear faith, that the thought of
heaven made up all my happiness, and I was unable to believe there were really
impious people who had no faith.I
believed they were actually speaking against their own inner convictions when
they denied the existence of heaven, that beautiful heaven where God Himself
wanted to be their Eternal Reward.During those very joyful days of the Easter season, Jesus made me feel
that there were really souls who have no faith, and who, through the abuse of
grace, lost this precious treasure, the source of the only real and pure
joys.He permitted my soul to be invaded
by the thickest darkness, and that the thought of heaven, up until then so
sweet to me, be no longer anything but the cause of struggle and torment.This trial was to last not a few days or a
few weeks, it was not to be extinguished until the hour set by God Himself and
this hour has not yet come.

~THREE~

Therese chose faith and love despite her spiritual darkness
and her physical suffering.When her
sister commented on her sickness, Therese said (as shared in Her Last Conversations):

“What a grace it is to have faith!If I had not had any faith, I would have
committed suicide without an instant’s hesitation . . .”

~FOUR~

What were the miracles attributed to St. Therese, for her
canonization?I’m glad you asked!From a link at EWTN:

The first concerned Sister Louise of St. Germain, of the
Daughters of the Cross, victim of an organic disease, namely, a grave ulcer in
the stomach, of hemorragic nature. On having recourse to the intercession of
Thérèse, she was restored to perfect health, as three eminent doctors have
unanimously testified at the request of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. The
second miracle, somewhat similar to the first, was the cure of the young
seminarist, Charles Anne, victim of pulmonary haemoptysis, of the cavitary
stage. He confidently invoked the aid of the Servant of God and was perfectly
cured. This is clear from the testimony of the three doctors, and from the
reasons on which they based their decisions.

This link
shares more information about miracles attributed to her intercession.

~FIVE~

There are stories about World War I soldiers seeing
visions of a Carmelite nun, attending to men on the battlefield.(Here’s
a site with stories; here’s
an illustration.)Because so many
soldiers had a devotion to her before her beatification, the Church made an
exception to the rules and permitted the minting of devotional metals of Sister
Therese.The Archives du Carmel de Lisieuxhas
a page (translated into English) of postcards the Carmel received from
soldiers who had found comfort from her message and in prayers to her.Do visit that site; the notes are touching.

~SIX~

From the homily at her Canonization Mass:

If the way of spiritual childhood became general, who
does not see how easily would be realized the reformation of human society
which We set ourselves to accomplish at the commencement of our Pontificate,
and more especially in the promulgation of this Jubilee.1 We, therefore, adopt as our own the prayer of
the new St. Thérèse with which she ends her invaluable autobiography: "O
Jesus, we beseech Thee to cast Thy glance upon the vast number of little souls,
and to choose in this world a legion of little victims worthy of Thy
love." Amen.

Since I often need reminding to die to self for the sake
of others, St. Therese is good to have around.Here’s a story from Her Last
Conversations that puts me in my place as a mother craving some time alone
when it just isn’t going to happen.Sister Therese wanted some time to herself, but some sisters from the
community wanted to visit with her:

How they came to disturb me after Communion!They stared me in the face . . . but in order
not to be provoked, I thought of Our Lord, who retreated into solitude and was unable
to prevent the people from following Him there.And He didn’t want to send them away.I wanted to imitate Him by receiving the Sisters kindly.